ERIC Number: ED671041
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2020-Sep
Pages: 78
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Can Technology Transform Communication between Schools, Teachers, and Parents? Evidence from a Randomized Field Trial. EdWorkingPaper No. 19-144
Matthew A. Kraft; Alexander Bolves
Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
We study the adoption and implementation of a new mobile communication app among a sample of 132 New York City public schools. The app provides a platform for sharing general announcements and news as well as engaging in personalized two-way communication with individual parents. We provide participating schools with free access to the app and randomize schools to receive intensive support (training, guidance, monitoring, and encouragement) for maximizing the efficacy of the app. Although user supports led to higher levels of communication within the app in the treatment year, overall usage remained low and declined in the following year when treatment schools no longer received intensive supports. We find few subsequent effects on perceptions of communication quality or student outcomes. We leverage rich internal user data to explore how take-up and usage patterns varied across staff and school characteristics. These analyses help to identify early adopters and reluctant users, revealing both opportunities and obstacles to engaging parents through new communication technology.
Descriptors: Telecommunications, Handheld Devices, Computer Mediated Communication, Computer Oriented Programs, Technology Uses in Education, Public Schools, Parent School Relationship, Interpersonal Communication, Parent Teacher Cooperation, Program Effectiveness, Program Implementation
Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://annenberg.brown.edu/
Related Records: EJ1352256
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
Identifiers - Location: New York (New York)
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Author Affiliations: N/A